Friday, June 18, 2010

Episode 2: The Shape of Things to Come (Works)



Artist: Susannah Perry
Twitter: PaintingChef
Chasing the Dragon: "I wanted to focus on all the crap that comes between people in a relationship. I think that while technology is an undeniable convenience, it has also added a layer of complication to things that can send so many mixed messages. And eventually, if you don't get it right from the beginning, communication (or the lack of it) can become an entire third party in a relationship, usually dragging it down. So we end up with everything we WANT to say floating in the air around us while we find ourselves tethered to the technology that can become the only physical thing connecting us. Phone calls, IMs, texts, voice mail, it all comes between us and we lose the ability to sit down, cut through the shit, and have an actual conversation.

Canvas with acrylic, magazine collage, cell phone and ethernet cable."




Artist: Lindsey Smolensky
Twitter: Smoness
To Always Long for More: "I wanted to take an every day, often overlooked object and make it something noticeable by romanticizing it. Water bottles + electric cords = two things that shouldn't be together because the combination of water and electricity can be dangerous. But love in opposites is like that. loving what isn't right for us, creating a thrill or excitement in our lives where otherwise none exists. The pattern in the fabric is to show patterns and complacency in daily life. The red wire is meant to break through it."




by Micki

by Gabriel

Artists: Micki Brown & her six-year-old son, Gabriel Arthur
Twitter: N/A, but she food blogs HERE
"My work was inspired by the female shape of a tv remote that I pulled apart. Then I noticed that an old paper tray looked suspiciously similar to a kimono, so I used it and painted a classic landscape on it.
My son was inspired by "GRL" and created "BOY". I thought it was a clever response and perfect for his age."




Artist: Rhonda Rubin
Twitter: The_Rhonda
Man's Escape from the Grind: "When I read the challenge, I thought -- as I always do -- about life, appliances and plight of man. Since I wasn't able to find an old, used crematory, I used a blender, wiring from an old vending machine, and Jell-O."





Artist: Sean Kramer
Twitter: N/A
Caught Up in Love: "Materials - Duct tape, circuit board from phone, Christmas lights, telephone cord and wires from a change machine.
I wanted to use the cords and plug to portray a spider's web. Life
goes on every day, and sometimes certain aspects of it just get caught
up in it."




Artist: Becky Cochrane
Twitter: BeckyCochrane
I Got Your Number: "Materials: Tabloid photos colored with pastels, markers, and pencils, old cell phones, old phone number buttons, wire that I coiled.
Explanation: I couldn't get the 867-5309 (Jenny) song out of my head, and I thought: Wouldn't it be great if all the Jennifers joined together in a Paparazzi Ass-kicking Network?"











*Click on boombox to play*
Artist/Composer: Josh Newton
Twitter: Marquis66
The Invisible Red String: "Based on the ancient Japanese story that two loves are connected from birth by a red string that no one can see. For this challenge, I took recorded sounds as my "Tech" - you will hear a reading of the waka "Irohauta," which you can find HERE. You can also hear Thunder sounds, which I got from HERE."






Artist: Timothy Forry
Twitter: N/A
The Future of Reading: "Materials: Old computer, unrepairable copy of Tom Sawyer and two other books, doll head, cardboard tube"




Artist: Brad Dumm
Twitter: N/A
"I used an old mixer as my electric device, pulled out the blades and replaced them with roses from my backyard, which I painted with some chrome paint to add to the "metalic feel" of the piece. I layed the mixer on a black quilt. Textures include the flannel of the quilt, the plastic housing of the mixer and the "chrome" rose blades."

16 comments:

  1. @Brad, that is awesome. I love the mix of the natural and the electronic. Bravo!

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  2. Congrats to Sean Kramer on his red heart wrapped in assorted wiring...awesome!

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  3. I really appreciate seeing everyone's work. Tearing apart and smashing keyboards, mice, and remotes made me a fleeting rock star in the eyes of my youngsters. Everyone should try it someday.

    I had already planned to use the challenges to create art with my kids this summer, so a blog and community to participate with is the icing on the cake. I can't wait for the next challenge!

    Thank you!

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  4. Such creativity! I'm really enjoying seeing everyone's art.

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  5. I'm so overwhelmed and thrilled by everyone's participation and enthusiasm. And I'm completely inspired. You guys are totally making me ready for the next challenge. C'mon, Wednesday!

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  6. Thanks Brad. I have to agree with everyone else with all the awesome work presented.

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  7. @Timothy: Gasp! You tore apart an old book!!! No, really...I love The Future of Reading. It immediately made sense to me.

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  8. I agree, @Timothy, I really loved that piece. I loved how the doll's head was so interconnected to the computer, yet the computer itself seemed to be made out of the book. Really, really well done.

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  9. I think we can all agree that were this a reality show, Timmy would so not be getting voted off this week. Also, Josh? I can't stop listening to your composition. <3 it. :)

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  10. @Josh--I love the music, the integration of the speaking and the sounds reminded me, slightly, of This Mortal Coil.
    @Meesh: Never fear, I only tore apart books that were beyond repair, so I felt I did them a service by prolonging their lives, in an evolved form. :)

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  11. Wow! I was behind on getting my submitted because of the crazy busy weekend I just lived through so I wouldn't let myself look at any of the other pieces until mine was done. Holy crap guys!! I am loving every single one of these!!!

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  12. The point of this project is to learn and stretch as an artist. I re-learned a valuable lesson by looking at the submittals: the red heart, the blender with red jello and the water bottles with the cords (red cord in particular): If you add color to any art project it will get attention and draw you in...it really doesn't matter what the medium is. I encourage others to write comments on what they learned from each of these projects... so we all can share from other's perspectives.

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  13. @Brad: This really helped me to expand upon a sense of seeing objects completely out of their intended context. I'm now more inspired to practice changes in my own perspectives.

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  14. I (re)learned that it doesn't matter what idea or plan I may have in my head when I start a project, things will change and take on a life of their own.

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